Casey Anthony to walk free next week despite lying to police

A FLORIDA judge yesterday sentenced Casey Anthony to four years in jail for lying to police after her daughter disappeared, but she will be released from custody next week after getting credit for time served and good behaviour.

Court officials said Anthony, 25, will be let out of jail on July 13, having received credit for the 1,043 days she spent behind bars since her arrest.

Anthony was acquitted on Tuesday of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee in 2008 but yesterday received the toughest possible punishment for providing false information to law enforcement during the investigation.

Each of the four misdemeanour counts Anthony was convicted of carried a maximum of one year in jail.

Judge Belvin Perry ordered the one-year terms to run consecutively, and also imposed a $1,000 fine for each count.

Perry said as a result of Casey Anthony’s lies, law enforcement spent “a great deal of time, energy and manpower looking for young Caylee Marie Anthony.”

Anthony did not speak during the sentencing hearing. She wore her long hair loose rather than pulled tightly back as she had during the trial and smiled while she chatted with defence attorneys before the proceedings.

But her face tightened as the judge discussed her lies and handed down the punishment.

The hearing drew Anthony’s fans, critics and a large police presence to the Orlando courthouse where her closely watched trial played out over more than six weeks this summer.

“Boycott any books, movies by Casey,” one protester’s sign read.

“Casey will you marry me,” read a sign held by 20-year-old pizzeria worker Tim Allen.

Reaction to the sentence was mixed. Some people came hoping to witness Anthony walk out of the courthouse a free woman.

“I would like to put my eyes on her,” said Darwin Outsey, a 33-year-old Orlando car detailer who agreed with the murder acquittal but thought Anthony was at least guilty of being an accessory to the killing.

Others criticized the sentence as too lenient.

“She doesn’t deserve to walk free among civilians who care for their children,” said Dobia Wright, 30.